Surviving the war
by WedJes.Writes
Summary: Hux is one of the most powerful men on the isle, with a kingdom and army to prove as much. However, with the final battle looming, uncertainty weighs heavy, and frustration can be a curse to a potential king. Hux's closest advisor suggests a solution however, in the form of late night 'company'. Hux takes on Ben as the perfect distraction. (Overtly inspired by Game of Thrones).
1. Chapter 1

The war council had already stretched on for an hour longer than they had intended it to, and still no result had come of it.

Hux was of course assuming it had been an hour, he was watching the shadow of the tall candlestick at the tables centre, using it like a sundial, and trying to guess how much it had to move for it to mean that an hour had passed.

With every passing moment as an old man interrupted another, or as someone would ask a question, only to be quickly overruled, the lord grew more and more agitated.

He was so sick of old men and their petty squabbles, talking of battlefields they had not only never visited, but would likely never have the chance to see before their imminent deaths.

Hux may have been a lord, but he was a young man, and he saw no point ruling a place if he wasn't going to fight for it too. He was more than prepared to join his men in war, to wield his sword, with the threat of death all about him. To be in the cold and dirt, splattered in blood, both his own and that of other men.

On the battlefield, blood was blood, it didn't matter if you were a lord or not.

All men bled.

As the cup bearer, a young boy of nine, made another circuit of the table and filled every golden cup a little higher, the lord's nostrils flared with rage.

They weren't just senile old men, they were _drunk_ senile old men.

At that moment, captain Phasma spoke out, loudly silencing one particularly goat-like gentleman, who was making a stupid comment about cutting the supplies to the soldiers, and Hux was able to take a slight breath of relief.

Captain Phasma was the best of his captains, and a close confidant as of recent years. Despite the fact that he had of course been questioned and jibed at for appointing a woman not only to the war council, but to the very army where she had been allowed her to escalate to such a high rank, Hux still stood by his decision, and considered her a vital addition to the group, in fact he saw her as far more valuable than any other person sat at the table at current.

And not just because she held all the same opinions as he.

"What is your opinion my lord?"

Hux looked up from his joined hands and glared at the man who had addressed him, a stout old speck of a man whose white hair, beard and moustache joined into one large mass,

"I think-" the redhead began, standing from the table, his movements dangerously slow and calculated, like that of some cruel predator, as all his anger bubbled to the surface,

"-that I need a new war council!" he shouted, suddenly slamming his fist down onto the wooden surface before him, making the small markers that represented troops, jump and shudder on the map,

"You sit here and suggest that we cut our army, half their supplies and withdraw them from battle! But I, unlike the likes of you, am no coward. We will persist in this war, I will fight the final battle myself, we will win the territories and I will enlist every man, woman and child in this city if I need to, to do so"

By now each man about him looked startled, but Phasma was as straight faced as always, watching her lord with silent agreement.

"Mark my words gentlemen, I will be king, and I will happily sacrifice each of you to every God there is to see to it, if I see necessary",

Pulling the long end of his jacket away from the legs of his chair, Hux then stormed from the room, staring straight ahead as he went, disregarding each of his 'advisors' in passing.

The redhead quickly made his way from the council room to a small private chamber off to the side.

The room was small, eight sided and airy. It was below the guard's post atop the west tower, and it usually stood empty, perhaps playing host to a spare bouquet of wild flowers on occasion. There were three large windows in three of the walls, and with the setting sun, the space was filled with pink and orange light. Hux had taken to retreating to the chamber as of late, as it was close to the council room and gave him a space to think and to work out his frustrations.

He walked to the centre window and looked out to the garden below. It was early spring, and some eager flowers were already blooming, filling the place with life.

Hux was not feeling so blissful however.

They were nearing the end of an eight-year long campaign that sought to make him king, presiding over all seven kingdoms. It had started with the death of a king, as these things usually did, and the question of his heirs' claims to the thrones.

It was all messy politics that was now forgotten, as was often the case in wars. By the end of them, people usually did not remember why they had started.

Through a series of battles and alliances, two strongholds remained.

Hux's kingdom which had grown inexplicably over the campaign, and the North hold, which had shrunk considerably.

But obviously, through these conflicts both sides had lost men and resources, and now Hux's advisors were questioning how realistic victory at the final battle would be.

As far as he was concerned though, they were too far gone to call it off now, and giving up was not only not in his nature, but it would also be a great insult to his people, his family name, and his own pride.

He sighed and lowered his face to his open palm, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration as he did,

As he revelled in the silence that he had finally found, a solid knocking came from the door behind him.

Hux tensed and his shoulders raised in anger and precaution, "Yes?" he asked, clenching his jaw,

"It's Captain Phasma my lord" came the response.

The redhead immediately lowered his guard and turned to cast his gaze on the door, his arms folded in front of his chest, and his face holding a look of cynicism, as it often did, "Enter",

The door opened and the woman entered the small room, making it feel instantly all the smaller with her great height and muscular frame, "The council has dispersed my lord" she then announced once the door had closed, and she had folded her own hands behind her back.

"Thank the gods" Hux growled, "I despise each of those old cretins",

"As do I my lord" the blonde agreed, her short hair falling slightly out of place as she nodded, "But they are the specially formed council, representing each of the kingdoms that have already fallen under your rule",

"And remind me if you might Phasma, how many of the seven kingdoms are represented in my territory?",

She faltered for a moment, before swallowing, "Five of the seven-" she replied, "-my lord",

"Five of the seven" Hux repeated, beginning to pace across the floor between the windows, "And help me to recall, how long did it take us to gain the first of those kingdoms?",

"Eight months",

"Eight months" he nodded, "And the second?"

Phasma sighed, already realising what he was insinuating, "Just over a year, fourteen months",

"And the next?",

"Nineteen months",

"And then?",

"Twenty-four",

"That's a total of sixty-five months, that's five and half years by my count. Now remind me, how long have we been attempting to conquer the final stronghold?",

Phasma licked her lips, her eyes now on the ground as she spoke, "Just a week away from thirty-one months",

"Just a little less than half of the time our entire campaign has taken!" Hux spat, "With each addition to my council, the territories become more and more difficult to win! These elders from the fallen kingdoms are only weakening our battle tactics and our army!" he insisted, now just as angry as he had been during the meeting with the council in question.

His captain flinched a little at his passionate rant, feeling a little responsible herself, as she was not only a member of the council, but a member of the army too, "I'm very sorry my lord" she said, her eyes still on her feet,

"No, no. It's not your fault Phasma, the morons simply outnumber us" the redhead grumbled, finally coming to a stop.

A drawn-out silence then settled between the two, and the temperature seemed to rise a little, perhaps as the sun had just gotten to the perfect height to funnel directly into the room,

"Might I make a suggestion my lord?", Phasma finally asked, clearly speaking with caution, as she looked up to him,

Hux glanced up from his white knuckles and gave a curt nod, trying to not unleash his anger on his best captain once again,

"Excuse my frankness, but perhaps you should take on a concubine", she replied,

"What?", the redhead snapped, entirely taken aback,

"A concubine my lord, you might find that the-" she paused, attempting to find the appropriate word, "-company, relaxes you during the final stretch of the war",

When Hux did not answer, she took that as a sign to continue.

"If you were to give me an idea of your preferences, I would be happy to arrange it for you, entirely discreetly of course" she concluded, nodding and gazing once more at the wooden floor,

"Very well" the lord nodded after a quiet moment of thought, much to Phasma's surprise, "Tall, a muscular build, hair a little long, and- and a big cock. Not necessarily large in length, but in girth" he said, his expression steely as he spoke,

"It'll be done my lord" the blonde nodded, equally as cool,

Hux looked to his captain, searching for any hint of an emotion other than calm on her face, but when he was sure that there was none, he quickly dismissed her.

0o0o0

Hux entered his chambers with a deep sigh, one of his cool palms pressed against his forehead.

He removed his thick grey jacket and placed it carelessly atop a bookcase by the door, planning on collapsing fully clothed onto his bed to sleep, as the exhaustion following a day of frustrations had caught up with him,

That was, until he looked up to his bed, and found that he was not alone.

A pale young man lay naked amongst the dark covers, a coy smile on his full lips.

His skin was not as light as Hux's of course, and he was undoubtedly younger, but he was also taller, and far more muscular. He had thick, dark locks of hair that fell around his face, down to his collar, smatterings of dark moles across his skin, and the most incredible nose Hux had ever seen.

"Good evening my lord" the man said with a broad smirk, his head resting on his tabled palm,

"Good evening" the redhead nodded, approaching the bed, and watching as the dark-haired Adonis sat up to greet him, the silken bed covers falling away to reveal more cream coloured skin.

Hux came to a stop by the side of the bed, inches away from the other man, and placed his hand on his own collar, loosing the first button, as he continued to observe the smirking ravenette before him,

"Let me do that" the man said, reaching for the fastens,

The lord allowed him to do as such, and only spoke once more when the shirt was being slipped from his shoulders,

"What's your name?",

"Ben my lord" the man answered, before he reached forward, his back arching, as he began to place kisses down Hux's chest, his hands now working at removing the other man's belt.

The redhead took in a deep breath as he felt the tough leather strap be pulled from his hips, and the hot breath of the other man against his abdomen, accompanied by wet lips and the scorching tip of what was sure to be a talented tongue,

His eyes closed and his head fell back, as his knees soon met with the edge of the bed, and his hands found their way into Ben's thick hair.

He then pulled the man's mouth away from his body, and tilted his face up, his palm resting on his smooth, angular jaw,

"Yes, my lord?" the ravenette asked, raising an eyebrow and curling his lips up into a smile again,

But Hux did not answer, he instead guided Ben's lips up further still, until they finally met with his own, with a deep, desperate breath, and a surge of lust.


	2. Chapter 2

Lord Hux felt more relaxed that morning than he had any other morning, during the entire stretch of the long, long campaign.

He walked the halls stiffly as he always did, but beneath his layers of clothes, the formal cottons and practical leathers, his muscles were loose and lay without tension; Ben had given him a truly incredible massage.

They had woken in the early hours, too slumber laden to move, but too awake to go back to sleep. After exchanging passing jokes and grinning at one another for perhaps an hour, the sun finally began its ascent across the sky, and Ben sat up. The offer of a massage had come with a teasingly raised eyebrow, and to his own surprise, Hux was cast under the other man's charm immediately.

The redhead could tell already that he could very quickly become accustom to a morning activity such as that.

He practically breezed into his council chamber, and all but smiled at seeing his map, covered in dozens of markers depicting his own kingdoms territory,

Phasma was stood by the window, looking out over the surrounding gardens.

"Good morning captain" he said, easing himself into the most comfortable of chairs, his own,

The way the leather gave beneath his untensed muscles was heavenly.

She turned and nodded to him, looking a little surprised by his tone, "Good morning my Lord"

"Any news from the western battle field?" Hux asked, lazily pushing about a few documents that he had left on the table for himself the night before,

The western battle field was to be today's concern, it was the largest battle currently taking place, a battle which was also showing the least movement of the line.

"Not yet sir, but soon I imagine" Phasma frowned, shrugging her shoulders, or perhaps just tensing them,

"Oh well" the redhead said with a sigh, "I suppose we can't expect _military_ precision from the ravens",

His captain looked shocked once more, but nodded her agreement, even wondering if she was expected to laugh,

"Sit Phasma, please" Hux said with a shake of his head.

She complied and took a seat opposite him, her hands folding awkwardly before her on the table,

"I think it only right, that I should-" Hux cut himself off and considered his next words carefully, "-extend my gratitude to you",

The blondes brow raised, "Gratitude my Lord?" she asked,

"Yes, for many things" he nodded, "Of course, you are my closest advisor, most trusted fighter and captain. But at current, I refer to your more recent efforts. I am grateful for your expression of concern for my wellbeing, for the way in which you carried out the duties I assigned to you, and for your discretion in the matter" he concluded.

"Ah" Phasma said with a nod, "I wonder my lord, if I might ask-?"

Hux quirked an eyebrow and opened his arms in welcome, "By all means, please do"

She swallowed thickly and licked her dry lips, avoiding his gaze, "Am I right in thinking that Ben was acceptable company?",

The redhead sat up a little and clenched his jaw for a second, before cocking his head to the side, "Yes, in fact acceptable is not the word I would use" he said, reaching out to follow the curves of a territory marker with the tip of his finger, "I would say that Ben was _excellent_ company, and I'd like to thank you again for finding him for me", he looked up, meeting her eye, "He's perfect",

Phasma's cheeks reddened a little and she nodded, "You're very welcome my lord, anything for our cause",

"Yes" Hux nodded, and he finally let a smirk twist his lips upwards, "Of course, our _cause_ "

What was sure to become a comfortable silence was split before it started.

The council door opened, and Phasma stood from her seat, knocking the table slightly in her haste- she had thought in that moment that the scene would perhaps look too familiar to anyone who might enter, and thought better of it.

A man dressed in floor length brown robes stood in the doorway, a tangle of a paper scroll dangling from his stuttering hands, "My Lord?"

"What news?" Hux asked, turning his head just a little way towards him, indicating that he was listening,

"We have- we've lost ground my Lord" the old man said, extending his arms towards him,

Phasma regarded him first however, skirting quickly around the table and snatching the message from his hands. Her eyes looked over the scroll several times, reading and rereading,

"How much?" Hux asked, still refusing to turn towards the conversation,

"One hundred and eighty feet my Lord" the blonde answered, holding the scroll out to him,

He sighed and stood suddenly from his seat, taking up the message as he went and skimming the hastily written words,

"Phasma, gather my war council, drag them out of their beds yourself if you have to-" he said curtly, crumpling the scroll into a ball, "-or the beds of whatever brothel they prefer. Anyone who isn't at the table by the hour is to be struck off" Hux could feel his shoulders tensing, twitching even, as anger once again returned to him, "It's down to their wise council that we've lost so much land, and I would very much like to know why"

0o0o0

The 'unpromising' news was met with shock at the war council,

Although Hux immediately doubted its sincerity, as something like paranoia was getting the better of him by now.

His regularly cool disposition was regained, and when the war council, which had stretched on for hours, had ended rather inconclusively, he was furious.

By the time he made if back to his chambers in the evening, he felt just as he had the night before.

"Good evening my lord" Ben said with a smile as the door closed behind Hux, and he stripped his jacket from his body,

The other man lay naked amongst the covers once again, propped up on one elbow and watching the redhead with enthusiastic anticipation,

"Good evening, Ben" he replied with a sigh, pulling open the fastenings of his trousers.

The ravenette's expression became one of concern as he heard the lords low tone, and he sat all the way up on the mattress, gathering the covers around his hips, "My Lord? What's wrong?" he asked softly,

"It was a- a long day" Hux replied, opening his shirt,

"I see" Ben nodded, looking downcast, "I'm sorry to hear that"

The redhead sighed once more and meandered towards the bed, coming down to sit on it heavily, his head in his hands.

The other man moved behind him, getting out from under the covers. He pulled on a pair of black leather trousers that lay neatly folded on a side chair, and then clambered back onto the bed, coming to kneel behind the lord,

Ben softly placed his lips on Hux's right shoulder, and laid kiss after kiss across his skin until he got to the other one, following freckles like a trail.

"I don't suppose I could get a massage?" the smaller man asked, his words muffled behind his hands,

The ravenette smirked and wound his arms around his waist, hugging him close for a moment, "Of course my Lord, lay on your front" he whispered into his ear.

After a minute of moving across the bed, Hux was laying on his front as he had been told to and Ben was straddling his hips, his hands working against the muscles of his back in tight concentric circles,

The redhead grunted and let out a long sigh of pleasure, "This is what I needed",

"Well this is something I can do" Ben said with a chuckle, briefly stooping down to plant a kiss at the centre of his spine, "I'm at your disposal my lord",

"You enjoy it though, don't you?" he asked from beneath him, nuzzling his head into his own folded arms.

The other man shrugged, "Usually no" he admitted, his brow creased, "But it's different with you",

Hux laughed dryly, "I bet you say that to all your clients"

"Believe me my lord-" Ben said with a shake of his head, "-I don't. Honestly, I've never had such an easy time of it",

The redhead's brow quirked, "Easy?"

"Don't misunderstand me my lord, easy is nice, easy is enjoyable" he replied, his hands now working the curves of the other man's shoulder blades, moving in unison.

"And so, you enjoyed last night?" he asked, wearing a small, private smile,

"Greatly my Lord"

Hux's face fell into a wince immediately, and he shook his head, "No, no- stop"

"Oh" Ben said, quickly retracting his hands, "I- I'm sorry, did I do something wrong my Lord?" he asked, climbing off of the man as swiftly as his slightly clumsy, long limbs could move him. He scooted back across the mattress and hung his head, keeping his eyes down,

"No, no, it's not that" the redhead said turning over and propping himself up on his elbows, "I just-" he paused and let out a long, frustrated sigh, far more frustrated with himself than anything else, "-we're going to be spending a lot of time together- I think… if that suits you?"

Ben blinked and looked up, surprised by the question, "It does my Lord" he answered, nodding.

"In which case, I can't have you calling me that anymore"

The ravenette faltered, "What- what my Lord?"

"That" the smaller man replied, "Don't call me 'my Lord'"

A deep flush spread across Ben's cheeks, and he hung his head once more, now in embarrassment, "B-but you are" he said softly, "You are my _lord,_ my Lord"

Hux frowned and shook his head, almost scoffing at the sentiment. He rose himself up from the bed and shifted across the covers, getting close enough to reach out to Ben, and then closer still. His hand went out without hesitation, and took up the other man's cheek, tilting up his jaw up and connecting their eyes, "In here, we are alone. At each other's mercy at every moment. I make myself vulnerable, and- and _naked_ for no one, and yet here you are. You lie beside me, and sit atop me, your hands travel my skin and all I want in those moments, is to have the sensation tenfold. In here, you hold the power as much as I do, you are in many ways the _lord_ of me"

Ben looked almost in awe of him, not the reaction Hux wanted to insight, he desired quite the opposite. He wanted satisfaction, or even, he wanted Ben to be humbled. Not because he should feel smug to have the power over him that he did, but because he trusted Ben to be humble in the face of that. To be humble immediately in reaction to any compliment, to never feel the arrogance of praise.

"So please-" he said continuing anyway, "-call me anything but 'my Lord'"

The ravenette finally let a smile slip, "Then what would you have me call you?"

Hux nodded, "Hux if you wish", he then shrugged, "Armitage if you'd prefer"

His smile became a beam, and his hands took hold of the lord's hips, "We'll see-" he said, pulling him closer, close enough to press his lips to his ear, "- _Armitage_ " and with that, he opened his mouth wider, and nipped at the redhead's earlobe, squeezing it between his teeth,

The other man jumped, but smiled, caressing the smooth skin of Ben's arm as it moved around him, "We _shall_ , _my_ lord"


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days fell into a comfortable routine, or at least a routine of some form, even if part of it became the daily disappointment of a poor report at the war council meetings.

 _At the very least_ , Hux thought, he had Ben to go back to every day,

He also had him to wake up to every morning, which was just as pleasant, even if there wasn't enough time to fool around as much as he wanted to. They would spend a good few minutes holding one another, then a few sharing passing comments, and then a few more touching lips and teasing skin,

It usually went no further in the early hours however.

This morning was an exception to that rule though.

0o0o0

Ben bent down and captured Hux's lips in a breathless kiss, one hand resting on his bare thigh and his other slipping through the slight gap between the man's back and the bed, his finger tips soothing against his muscles,

The redhead preened up to him and placed his own palms either side of his stomach, barely pressing his short nails into his flesh.

Ben arched his back at the feeling and his body lowered, getting just an inch closer to the man below him, whose legs he was between,

Many a weaker man would've taken embarrassment at the idea of being below another man in this intimate position, but Hux _wanted_ the ravenette above him, placing just the right amount of weight against him at just the right moments.

Ben finally pulled away from the lord and smiled down to him, both of his hands now gently holding the backs of his bent knees, keeping his legs spread to accommodate his own wide frame.

"We could be quick" the ravenette said, chuckling at the extremely bright blush which had settled on the other's pale face,

Hux licked his dry lips, "Don't tempt me" he replied with a sigh,

"Why not?" Ben asked, bending down once more, and placing his face well within kissing distance of the Lord's, his warm breath dancing across his face,

"I haven't got the time" the redhead replied, glancing up at the other man, admiring his thick eyelashes and grand nose, "And teasing me is just cruel",

"It's not teasing if there's follow through" he replied, creeping in for a kiss, his eyes narrowing in delight.

Their lips met, but only briefly, as Hux turned his head away,

"Up" he said softly,

Ben sighed and sat up, still placed between the Lord's legs,

"You're no fun" he said, pushing out his bottom lip into a slight pout,

The other man arched an eyebrow, and with a little effort managed to sit up as well, his eyes focused on the other's mouth- as if his lips weren't thick enough already, he just had to pout too.

"You know that's not true" Hux replied with a purr, before lashing forward and taking the ravenette's bottom lip into his mouth, making him topple over backwards so now _he_ was on his back, his large hands coming to rest in Lord's hair.

As the two men all but giggled from the bed, their lips meeting over and over, there was a knock at the chamber door,

Neither of them heard it though, far too focused on each other and the noises they were making, that only saw to charge them both up again,

After a moment, the knock came again, and a perhaps a spoken question, although it was impossible to tell due to the thick wooden door.

By the third knock, the person waiting had lost their patience, or perhaps was thrown into panic by the lack of an answer from their Lord, and it wasn't long before the handle rattled, and door began to open,

Hux's eyes widened, and he quickly sat up, his spine going rigid like a pole,

Not that sitting up would've helped by much, he was of course still straddling the very nude Ben, who was in turn spread out across the bed, his hair tousled and his lips bright red from kissing. Hux could only imagine how he looked in comparison.

Phasma stood in the doorway, thankfully alone, but her expression was one of sheer embarrassment and horror all the same,

"Forgive me my Lord!" she blurted out, gripping the door handle with all her strength, "I- it's urgent"

Hux stared at her in disbelief for a moment, before placing one hand over his face in humiliation, and waving her to leave with the other.

"Of course my Lord" she squawked in response to the unspoken order, before taking one huge backwards step out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Now alone, Ben finally reacted, letting out a long, strained breath, even as the other man climbed off from him quickly and slid across the room to grab a robe, "I was almost worried for a moment" he said, flexing the muscles in his arms and then loosening them again,

"Don't speak too soon" Hux grumbled, dashing to the door, "Don't go anywhere, I won't be long",

The ravenette nodded and settled back into the bed.

The Lord opened the door to his chambers and immediately found a red faced Phasma waiting for him across the corridor, "Phasma" he said, just managing eye contact, "You said it was urgent?",

Her lips pressed together into a tight line, she nodded, "Yes my Lord, there's been more news"

The redhead nodded, and pulled the door closed behind him quickly, "What is it?",

She blinked at him, "You want to discuss it here sir?"

Hux folded his arms and felt his ears begin to burn as he looked to the ground, "I'm hardly attired to go anywhere else Captain, if the news is as urgent as you say, I want to hear it now",

"Of course" the blonde nodded, "The supply carts that were going to the soldiers were attacked in the night",

The Lord's head snapped up, and his eyes widened, "Where?"

"Barely out of the borders of our kingdom my Lord, it's as if they knew everything about the delivery",

Hux let out a growl as anger started to burn behind his eyes, "How could this happen?"

Phasma dampened her lips, afraid to upset him further, "Perhaps- perhaps someone gave them the information?",

The redhead stayed silent for a moment, before answering in a surprisingly calm tone, "Mention that to no one Phasma",

She frowned at him, "But sir-"

"If it's true, then you are the only one I trust" he said quickly, interrupting her, "We will discuss the attack today, hopefully then we can discern who knows more than they're admitting to",

"Of course" the blonde nodded, folding her hands behind her back, "I'll bring together the council"

Hux gave her a curt nod and quickly returned to his room, starting to feel the chill the radiated from the stone walls in nothing but his robe.

Ben sat up in the bed when he entered and beamed as he approached,

The Lord made for his wardrobe however, his expression steely, "I need to go Ben, there's been an attack",

"Was it bad?" the ravenette asked, gathering the covers around him,

"Most likely, I won't know until I get to the council meeting though" he replied, buckling his trousers on his hips and pulling on a shirt, "I'm sorry, I'll be late back tonight I should think" he then added, starting to tie the fastens on his chest,

Ben shook his head, "It's fine, you need to go",

Hux sighed and stepped over to the bed, reaching out to take the other man's cheek into his hand, "You're unreasonably understanding",

"And you're a good leader" he replied, leaning in for a quick kiss,

"I'll see you tonight" the redhead nodded, pulling away.

Ben watched him collect his jacket and whisk from the room, closing the door tightly behind him,

He sighed and let himself fall back onto the mattress, pulling the covers over him as he went. They smelt of Hux, and the scent brought a smile to his lips, even if it was dim and fading.

0o0o0

The council meeting, although lasting almost a whole day, was as good as a none event.

Hux left it with Phasma at his side, walking in a cold silence until they got to his chamber door,

"It could be any one of them" the Lord said, his hands bundled into fists at his sides,

"So it would seem my Lord" she replied, frowning, "But there's only so much we can do now, we need to rest, gather the forces and form a new battle plan" she added.

The redhead raised an eyebrow at her, "'Rest'?",

"It's been a long day sir" Phasma nodded, "Even you need to take a moment for yourself-" a soft blush settled on her cheeks, "-you deserve it",

"She's right"

Hux turned to find Ben leaning in the open doorway, a soft smile upturning his lips,

"Good to see you again Solo" Phasma nodded,

"You too" he replied,

"Well then I suppose it's decided" the Lord said with a roll of his eyes, "I'm going to rest",

"Have a good evening my Lord" the blonde said, very nearly laughing, "Goodnight Solo" she added, before starting down the corridor and out of sight.

"'Solo'?" Hux asked, turning to the other man,

"Benjamin Solo" the ravenette responded, offering him a hand of greeting, wearing a huge smirk,

"I see" the other responded, taking his hand and allowing himself to be pulled into the bedroom,

"Phasma found me remember" Ben laughed, pealing of the thin robe he wore to reveal his leather trousers and bare chest,

"Of course" Hux nodded, closing the chamber door and beginning to remove his own clothes, shrugging off his jacket easily.

"I like her" the ravenette stated, sitting on the mattress, watching the other disrobe,

"Phasma?" he responded, untying his shirt, "So do I, she's my closest confidant and greatest fighter" he nodded, slowly walking over to join him, "When I rule, she will be one of the greatest pillars this kingdom rests on" he added.

Ben smiled, "And what a great kingdom it'll be"

The redhead chuckled gently and slipped off his shirt, letting it fall to the ground as he went to unfastening his trousers, "She used to be a lady you know, Phasma"

"She did?" the other man replied, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes, but the life style didn't suit her" Hux nodded, climbing onto the bed, "Something you maybe know a little about I think?" he asked, coming face to face with Ben,

The ravenette only looked more confused however, "What do you mean?"

"You don't speak like a low born" he answered, placing his palm against his neck, his fingers drifting through his hair, "Where are you from?"

Ben sighed and took the other's face in hand as well, "Across the narrow sea" he replied, shrugging.

Hux thought of everything he knew of the continent across the water, and nodded softly, "Of course. But- but that still doesn't explain it"

"Explain what?"

"How you talk, you're not a low born are you? Not even one from across the narrow sea?" the redhead concluded.

The other man pulled on odd face, and for the first time since having met him, the Lord would've described him as looking truly uncomfortable,

He pulled away and settled against the headboard of the bed, "My mother was a lady too" he said softly

Hux could hardly believe it, it was just so unlikely,

"And so was her mother, my grandmother" he continued, pulling the covers up to lay over his legs, "She married a knight, but that was against his ordinance of course, and then she died in child birth, giving birth to twins. My mother and her brother weren't raised in the city, and in their absence, my grandfather- the knight, began to rule as a lord" Ben paused and winced,

"You don't have to tell me" Hux said softly, sitting beside him,

The ravenette looked across to him and shrugged, "It's fine" he then sighed, "My grandfather ended up being more of a tyrant, corrupted by political influence. And then my mother marrying a common smuggler was the end of it, my grandfather said she wasn't fit to rule anyone, and banished her from the kingdom. I doubt he even knows that I was born, but that would only make it worse" he added.

Hux tangled his arm around Ben's and pulled him a little closer, "That's terrible, I'm very sorry"

The ravenette looked back to him and gave a soft smile in response, "Don't be sad for me, I'm not"

The Lord frowned however, "But you could've been a lord, and now you're just a..." he trailed off,

"A whore?" Ben suggested with a laugh, "I'm no regular whore, I'm the expensive kind"

The redhead grimaced and shook his head, "Don't joke, I don't like you using that word to describe yourself"

"But it's what I am" he replied.

"No" Hux insisted, "Not anymore, you're a concubine"

That only seemed to amuse the other man, "Which is a fancy way of saying whore",

The Lord sighed, "Ben, I've had a hard day, can we not-"

"I'm sorry" he relied quickly, "I didn't mean to make you feel-" he faltered and dampened his lips, "I'm sorry" he repeated.

"No, it- it's fine" Hux said, resting his cheek against the ravenette's arm, his eyes closing, "It sounds like you've led a difficult life… but somehow you're still- well, you're still so optimistic and bright",

"No sense in worrying about what you can't change" he replied, pressing a kiss to the Lord's temple,

The redhead looked up to him and couldn't help but smile, especially at seeing his own smirk, "No more talk, let's take up where we left it this morning",

"Gladly"


	4. Chapter 4

Hux slept poorly that night, despite being exhausted both by the day that had proceeded the evening, and the evening itself. The day was the kind of tormenting strain, an event in which everything went wrong, and the Lord had to work tirelessly to resolve just a fraction of the problems. While the evening was the more pleasurable type of exhausting, in which his bed partner was as attentive and enthusiastic as ever, and the both of them found release from the day, several times.

Hux slept poorly, because his mind was plagued.

He knew it should have been the war itself that was distracting him, keeping him from sleep, but it wasn't. The council meeting had been unbearable, and the Lord felt for the first time, although briefly, that perhaps there wasn't a victory waiting for him at the end of the campaign.

But that wasn't what kept him up.

It was Ben. The man who slept so soundly beside him, elegant and warm.

The conversation they had had before the night's calisthenics kept replaying in his mind, not the talk of his family, and the tragic tale of his past, but the conversation on Ben's reality now. How the man thought and felt about himself.

Hux sighed and gripped the pillow beneath his head a little tighter, his eyes still focused on Ben who was still asleep on the opposite pillow,

The morning light had been working its way into the room for the past few minutes, so gradually, that before he knew it, the Lord found himself and his concubine bathed in a sort of golden glow.

Ben's skin like rich cream, looked flawless in the light, save for the dark moles that were smattered across it,

They made more sense to Hux now. He had wondered why a man of Ben's complexion had so many of the dark marks, but now knowing that he was from across the narrow sea, where the sun shone brighter and hotter, it made sense.

He had pale skin because of the dim weather of the isle on which he found himself, but his skin yearned for sunlight,

Hux could imagine Ben as he should've been, golden skinned with a beautiful tan, his dark hair longer, falling to his collar, and his body draped in fine silks that would keep the sun on him but just about leave him decent at the same time.

He so much wanted to see that Ben for real. Regal and full of grace.

The Lord frowned,

He _should_ have been that, and as such, it left him so disheartened to hear from Ben's own lips that he considered himself a 'whore'.

Hux wouldn't have it, it offended him deeply.

After a few more minutes, the man beside him finally stirred, and his eyes opened slowly, blinking against the light,

"Good morning" the redhead said softly,

Ben smiled, "Good morning", he then stretched like a cat bathing out in summer and yawned, "Did you sleep well?" he asked, rounding back to look at Hux once more.

"Horribly" he replied,

The other man didn't seem too surprised by the answer, he only nodded softly, his smile waning, "You're very stressed",

The Lord was happy to let him believe that that was the reason, "How about you?"

"I slept well" the ravenette answered, he then raised a hand to Hux's face and stroked a thumb over his cheekbone, "And woke well too"

He raised his eyebrow in response, "'Woke well'?" he asked,

Ben laughed gently, "Waking up beside a handsome lord is certainly what I'd call waking well" he then reached over to give him a very soft kiss.

Hux gladly accepted the kiss but had to stop himself from sighing his relief into the other man's mouth,

"I was wondering" he then stated, once they had pulled away from each other,

"Yes?"

"You haven't seen the castle yet have you? Not properly?" the redhead asked,

He looked surprised in response and blinked, "Err, no, no I haven't"

His lips upturned slightly at hearing his nervous tone, he'd never seen the man's confidence waver once- it was kind of sweet to see, "You can walk about as you please"

Ben now blushed, "I thought that maybe- I wasn't sure whether I needed permission" he admitted.

Hux shook his head, smiling what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "You can go where you please, I _want_ you to. I want you to feel comfortable"

The ravenette smiled back, "That's kind of you"

"It's not kindness" the Lord said in return, "You're free to do as you want here, I want you to be happy, besides-" his smile then became a smirk, "While I very selfishly want to keep you to myself, it seems a crime to deprive other people from at least seeing you"

Ben chuckled and planted another kiss on his lips, "Thank you"

"Don't thank me" Hux replied, "Just enjoy yourself"

The two got up from the bed shortly after and set about dressing for the day.

Hux who was due for a sparring match with Phasma, dressed lightly; a pair of looser fitting brown leather trousers, and a thin white cotton shirt that light leather armour could be strapped over once he got to the practise ground.

Ben wore the black leather trousers that he wore regularly, as well as a shirt which he had also brought to the Lord's quarters (not that Hux had seen it before). The redhead insisted on embellishing on his attire however, suggesting that he wore a jacket from his own wardrobe,

The garment was made to go over several layers of shirt and underclothes and so it was a more fitting size for Ben who was both taller and more muscular than Hux. The jacket still didn't quite close across his chest, but it at least fit his arms and wide shoulders. It was made of a dark grey leather that resembled hammered steel as it moved in the light, and the inlay was a deep, dark red colour,

Finally, Ben pulled his hair up into a small ponytail, leaving just a few shorter strands whisping about his forehead.

"You would stand for a knight looking like that" Hux said with a laugh as they went to the chamber door together,

The ravenette chuckled and shook his head.

The Lord then opened the door to the cold stone corridor, and they stepped out together, looking both ways down the dark passage,

"Follow me down to the training grounds, and then you can goo off your own way" Hux said, starting off to the left,

Ben smiled and joined him, glancing about at the neat stonework in the walls about them.

He had of course seen parts of the castle before, although sparingly: twice a day he walked the route between the kitchen entrance and Hux's quarters, although that was mostly composed of a tall, narrow, back staircase with very few features.

To his dismay, the walk down to the training grounds was quite short anyway, so before they made their way outside, he didn't get to see much more of the castle anyway.

Phasma was waiting by a sword rack for them, inspecting the armour which had been lain out,

"Good morning Captain" Hux said with a nod to her as they reached the bottom of the tall staircase,

She raised her pale eyebrows at seeing that he wasn't alone, but smiled softly, shielding her eyes from the morning sun which was just cresting the walls of the castle, "Good morning my lord" she replied, "And good morning to you" she added.

Ben smiled in return and gazed around the training ground, impressed even by the grand size of the mostly empty field,

"Company for training my Lord?" Phasma asked as the ravenette began to wonder away from them,

"Hmm?" he asked, looking up to her, "Oh, no, he's going for a walk around the castle" he replied, lifting the leather armour from the narrow table top and lifting it over his head.

The woman then set about fastening the harder to reach ties on the sides of the breastplate while Hux saw to the ones on the front,

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked softly, her eyes focused on the shoulder tie she was slowly knotting,

"What?" he asked, looking across to her.

Phasma sighed and glanced up to catch sight of his confused expression, she shook her head, "Is now a good time to have him wondering about the castle?"

"I don't see why not" the redhead shrugged, "He can look after himself, and no one's going to know who he is",

The Captain turned to watch the ravenette in question.

Ben was looking over a sword rack on the other side of lined off section that indicated the practise ring; he slowly reached out and took the hilt of a sword into his hand, lifting it from the bracket,

He weighed the blade in his hand for a moment, before twisting his hand on the pivot of his wrist, and letting it cut through the air gracefully; his actions held the air of someone who had once trained with a sword, but had since not picked one up for many years.

Again Hux couldn't help but think that the ravenette resembled a knight, only now the thought was more sincere, not merely based on aesthetics,

"I think he can look after himself on this occasion" the Lord said again, nodding to his captain.

0o0o0

Ben found very quickly that every single one of the corridors around the castle were fairly uniform, and that losing your way around the place was quite easy.

They were tall, made of grey stone and left you with a chilling feeling that oozed down to the bones as you walked through them.

For such a big place, he also found that there were very few people around, he'd hardly seen anyone while he walked around, and those he did, seemed to be serving staff who avoided looking at him, apparently taking him for someone of importance.

Ben had vague memories of running around a place like this, very, very early in his childhood.

He, his parents, his uncle and a close family friend had lived in an abandoned villa on the coast from the day he was born- they had tidied it up as best they could, but only a few of the many, many rooms were comfortable for use. They also had one servant who helped with the cooking and cleaning, but she was less of a presence as the years went by.

That life was decades behind him now though, and although the castle brought back memories and feelings from then, they were of course completely different worlds, the only crossover of which being Ben himself.

It was midday now, and he was sure that Hux would be busy with yet another council meeting, if not now, then certainly soon,

He sighed and turned into yet another empty corridor,

He was starting to despair at the amount of time the Lord had to spend surrounded by those useless men, men who just seemed to make him angrier and angrier with every meeting.

Ben reached another corridor and paused at it, placing his hands on his hips; to the left was another stretch of dark, cold corridor, but the right end was currently bathed in candle glow, the candles held by three men dressed in coarse brown robes.

Each was old, their sparse hair greying and thin, hanging from the scalps and faces, but their frames were healthily padded with extra weight. They were talking amongst themselves, although they seemed to be at a disagreement,

Two of them looked terribly concerned and were grimacing as the third spoke, saying something that was leaving them very unconvinced apparently- he on the other hand looked gravely sincere, not only certain of himself, but certain that the others were wrong in their opposition to his words.

Ben didn't want to approach them, mostly because he didn't want the chance of interacting with anyone to present itself, and yet he couldn't turn away. Something about the scene not only seemed familiar to him, which was odd in itself, but the conversation, the interaction in this setting appeared… off.

He carefully stepped towards the corner to the corridor and leant against the stone, allowing him an ever so slightly closer view of what was happening down the narrow pass.

The first two gentlemen looked determined to move away from the third, as though his words were making them physically uncomfortable, he persisted however, raising his voice not quite enough to be heard by the ravenette watching them, but at least enough to startle them.

The two men looked to one another with uncertainty, until one finally gave a curt nod and turned away, disappearing through the archway they had been stood by. The other man still looked downcast, but he begrudgingly nodded too, slowly following the first man out of sight.

The final man remained alone in the corridor for a moment longer, lingering, framed by the tall, rigid walls about him.

Ben raised an eyebrow, watching him closely,

He couldn't quite place the cool feeling that was settling in his stomach, but whatever it was, it was making him feel very uneasy.

Just when he was starting to think that he was being possessed by paranoia, the old man's expression changed, and all of his building anxiety felt justified,

The old man's lips twisted into a smile, a subtle, sickening look that suggested great intelligence, and great wickedness.


	5. Chapter 5

Ben watched as Hux undressed, his pale limbs shucking off clothing lethargically and letting each article drop to the floor.

This had become one of his favourite parts of the day, not even the events that often proceeded the undressed state matched it.

He liked to see Hux bare; as such a powerful figure, he held himself with dignity and grace, so to see him uncovered was an invitation to take his very essence in, completely unadulterated. His slender frame with it's wiry muscles left him toned and subtly sculpted; Hux's body was on the small side it was true, but it seemed to have purpose, a sort of resolute intent which only spoke more of his strength, both as a man and as a leader.

Ben also liked the smaller things, his details: his fine, pale hairs and his unexpected freckles.

Freckles weren't common on the skin of Lords or other royalty, often they spoke of time out in the sun, hours of sweaty manual labour; not the sort of thing the ruling class busied themselves with, or indeed stooped to.

Hux was one of those rare people however, with hair like hot amber mead, or orange summer flowers, one of those rare people who were born to have freckles, regardless of how much time he spent in or out of the sun.

If freckles had a taste, Ben imagined that they would taste like honey; they were drops of dark, sweet pollen, sprinkled on his skin, nectar for the bees and indeed the ravenet himself- he had spent many a night with his tongue running over those freckles, attempting to collect each of them up.

Hux caught Ben watching him, his eyes stuck on the expression the man was wearing, "What?" he asked with a laugh, "What is it?"

"You're beautiful" he replied, reaching out to take his hand and pulling him down to join him on the bed.

The redhead laughed again and came down comfortably on the mattress, his hands finding the other's jaw and taking it up, " _You're_ the beautiful one, like some vision of an old Eastern God", he then drew the man into a kiss, his tongue lapping at his full bottom lip and entering his warm, deep mouth.

Ben made a low, almost desperate humming noise and took one of narrow hips in hand, pulling him down further to the bed. The Lord separated their lips and instead shifted his head downwards to the man's chest, his mouth working at leaving a trail of kisses down his breastbone, as his thumbs rolled over his nipples.

"I'm meant to treat you to this sort of thing" the ravenet said softly, letting his fingers run through Hux's hair,

He glanced up from the other's navel and gave him a withering look, "We agreed remember? That we would _treat_ each other equally"

"Of course" he replied, "I just wonder if you know what you give me, what it means?"

"It means that I wish to worship you, you beautiful god" the redhead said, now smiling again, "Even Lord's and King's still worship God's you know"

0o0o0

From between Hux's legs, Ben leant over the edge of the bed and pressed a kiss to the Lord's neck, before coming down to rest his head on his chest,

The wooden floor was hard and rough on his knees, but he was warm and tired and didn't mind too much.

Hux released a very shaky breath as though shivering, and lazily his hands came up, only to fall about the other man's shoulders, to hold him gently in place, "One of the very worst moments in my evening is when I feel empty again",

Ben smiled and turned his head a little, nuzzling his nose against the redhead's skin, "I'll fill you again if you like?"

"No, no" the Lord replied, "I'm far too tired, aren't you?",

"Exhausted" he agreed, "But you know I'd do anything for you"

"How about settling down and going to sleep?"

The ravenet chuckled, "Yes sire!" he said in a teasing sort of way, "Come on then, to bed with you", he sat up, Hux's arms falling off of him.

The man gave him a sour look, "I told you not to call me that"

"I know, _Armitage_. Now up with you"

He didn't budge however, "Too tired to move" he announced, "I've got no energy at all"

"Is that so?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow,

"Yes, you've drained me of it"

The ravenet shook his head in amusement and instead looked across the room to occupy himself, his eyes quickly finding the chair that his clothes were hanging from, including the Lord's jacket that he had borrowed, "I saw something odd today" he said after a moment, starting to feel very pensive all of the sudden.

"Oh?" the other man asked, his eyes now shut lightly as though he were moments from sleep,

"Yes, some men standing in a corridor talking, some men in brown robes"

"Old were they? Sounds like members of my council. What's so strange about them having a conversation in a corridor?" Hux said, stretching his shoulders beneath him,

The other man shrugged, "They looked like they were swapping secrets, one of them at least, and I can't help but think that I'd seen him before too"

The redhead sighed and finally hoisted himself up from the bed, his arms taking Ben's shoulders once more and his head coming down against his, "I wouldn't think on it too hard, old men know that there are things they shouldn't say, and so they whisper them to each other in the dark instead"

He frowned and slid his hands about the man's waist, "I don't know, it looked as if they were conspiring even. If they're members of your council, don't you worry they might seek to sabotage you?"

"As members of my council, they should seek to advise me in directions that will win me the war- that outcome would leave them with the most to gain"

The ravenet blinked, he really didn't have the head for politics, and it was never something he sought to understand. Everything Hux was saying made sense, but he couldn't help but feel that something was very off, "There was something about that man I saw, the one I recognised, although I can't think why he would be so familiar to me"

The Lord sighed, "As much as it disturbs me to think about it, I hear that men of that age, unmarried and often indebted to a church or ruler, become frequent visitors of brothels. Could that be why he was familiar?"

"I-" Ben cut himself off, wincing, "No. I don't think so" he concluded, quite certain in his answer.

The man kissed his cheek and kneaded his shoulders, "Perhaps it will come to you in the morning. But please, don't worry about it" he then swallowed, trying to soothe his sore throat from a day of meetings and intense field practise. He began to shuffle his pale thighs on the mattress, attempting to scoot away from the ravenet's body, "I really must go to bed now Ben, I'm falling asleep in your arms"

The other smiled at the idea, briefly forgetting his concern at what he had seen, and with a wobble he stood, his hands joined with Hux's for balance and so that he could help him from the bed too.

The redhead leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth, his eyes still closed in his tired state,

He took the man's cheek in hand and returned the gesture, lingering in the contact for a moment before he pulled away and spoke, "Go to sleep Hux, I'm just going to have a drink and then I'll join you"

He made a noise of agreement, turning and clambering back onto the bed, finding an opening in the covers quickly and crawling in.

Ben watched him with a fond smile, but moved away after only a short pause, his anxious thoughts flooding back to him. He collected a cup from the dining table and filled it with wine as red as blood, before stepping over to the window to look out across the grounds.

The garden below reminded him of the one they had once had at his family home, a place now full of soured childhood memories. With one eye he saw the happy days of collecting wildflowers and ripe fruit with his mother, with the other he saw the huddled figures of the men who gathered in the garden to talk and conspire against her. Even now he could recall her screams of rage as she was extracted from her rightful rule and banished from her home- at the very thought that Hux might go through that, he shuddered, and he turned once more to the suspicious scene he had witnessed, sure that he had crossed paths with the man he had seen.

0o0o0

In the morning, Hux left in a hurry, talking about new reports from the field as he dressed, and as such Ben was left mostly to his own devices from sunrise. He picked at the fruit and fresh oat biscuits which were brought up for his breakfast, but in truth his heart and indeed his appetite weren't in it, he then dressed slowly, miss-lacing his shoes more than once in his distracted state.

When he had finally gotten to bed that night, he slept poorly, that was, once he _finally_ got to sleep at all, which was a hurdle in itself.

He was too caught on placing the old man he had seen, and he knew it. It was like trying to remember why you entered a room after forgetting your intentions seconds after stepping in- he knew he had reason, specifically he had the awful feeling that he had reason to _worry_. But nothing got him any closer to knowing why, if anything the answer got further away the harder he tried, as if the memory didn't want to be recalled.

The ravenet left the bedroom after an hour or so had passed, and set about searching through the rest of the castle- he had discovered the day before that the place was big enough to need one more day of exploration.

He was beginning to find that the side passages and concealed stairs made him feel claustrophobic, and as such he mostly kept to the main corridors, even if they did leave him feeling watched,

Ben had been watched all his life in one way or another though, and so he was almost used to it.

After hours of skimming room after room, he found himself heading to the kitchens just as lunch ended, and being on good speaking terms with a few servants, he managed to get some dried meats and bread loaf ends to eat- it wasn't much, but his appetite still hadn't returned, so he didn't mind all that much.

Once he was done, he decided that he had had enough of the grey castle walls for the day, and leaving through the service door, he made his way into the gardens.

The green space was walled off from the wild part of the forest and was decidedly more vibrant in colour. The verdant trees and shrubs were cut into fine, clean shapes and all of the dull weeds had been pulled, leaving only the brightest, cultivated flowers, even the developing fruit on the trees looked perfect, not one piece of produce was malformed or discoloured.

Ben appreciated all the care that had been taken with the place, and indeed the results of all the effort. Although the garden was not entirely natural to this normally cold western isle, it felt not just real, but magical; it was as though the sun shone a little brighter between the four walls, as though nature wanted it to thrive.

He found somewhere to sit once he made it to more or less the centre of the garden, and he smiled at the feeling of warmth hitting his face.

The man was sat amongst the lush leaves and golden flowers of one of the bigger bushes, some branches obscuring him and casting him in shadow, but keeping his face in the sun for the most part.

The sun shaped flowers reminded him of the plants that filled his family's garden- his mother's favourite colour was yellow, and as such she saw that most of the greenery that was planted there bloomed yellow; Ben was quite sure that the shrub he was sat in now was a plant from the isle he hailed from, it looked just the same and the smell brought on more memories.

After a moment, the man found himself frowning however. He had not expected this place to ever bring back so many long forgotten, or indeed long ignored memories. He didn't like thinking on his past, because it no longer seemed to apply to him- he wasn't anyone of importance anymore, he was just a person like any other.

One thing he couldn't deny on the other hand, was his parentage. Everyone had parents, whether they knew them or not, and Ben for one did know who birthed him.

His mother was wonderful although often very serious and a little too busy to pay him mind. He saw her as a very strong person, she was probably the strongest, most fearless member of their family and as such she had done all she could to regain their standing.

His father in opposition was less family orientated; he was very charming and confident, although likely more cocky than his position really allowed. The ravenet didn't see much of his father in himself, apart from perhaps some stubbornness, although that was a trait shared by both of his parents.

As the man began to think further on his family, even considering his many uncles that made appearances in his home constantly, he was interrupted by voices drifting through the garden like bugs. There were three or four men moving slowly through the greenery, locked in serious conversation as they moved.

Ben shrunk amongst the leaves, trying to not draw any attention to himself- it didn't seem to matter though, as all the men seemed to be entirely engrossed by the one that was leading them, far too distracted to notice Ben amongst the plants.

They came to a stop in a clear space not far from where the man was sat, and he peered over at them, committing their faces to memory. Unsurprisingly, the one leading the charge was the old man he had recognised the day earlier, and he was talking to them all in a similar, hushed tone.

The ravenet couldn't hear anything that was being said, and without thinking about it, he leant closer towards them, disturbing the branches around him.

One of the members of the congregation frowned and turned, meeting eyes with Ben almost immediately, "Sir!" he said sharply, catching the leader's attention.

They all turned, their gazes falling on the man- they were all wearing expressions of nervousness, all but one, the one that he recognised,

That man looked angry, "Solo!" he hissed, eyes widening.

He faltered at first, confused by the idea that he knew who he was, until recollection finally dawned on him and his eyes widened too. Ben jumped up from his seat and hopped out from between the leaves, heading as quickly back into the castle as he could without actually running.

0o0o0

"Solo" the ravenet yelped, crashing into the council room.

Hux was stood over the large table map with Phasma at his right and another general on his left. They each frowned at the interruption and shot confused expressions at the man as he stood, chest heaving to catch his breath,

"Ben-" the Lord began, stepping away from the table slowly, "-what are you doing here?"

He shook his head and approached him, taking his hand and holding it tightly, "The man- Tarkin- he knows me"

"You know Tarkin?" Phasma asked, joining the conversation,

"Not only that, he knows _me_ " he repeated, "The man I recognised yesterday, it was Tarkin, and just now in the garden, he recognised me too. He called me 'Solo', he called me by my _family_ name"

Hux gave him a look that told him that he didn't entirely understand what he was saying,

"No on here knows my family" Ben said, going on, "So Tarkin must be from across the Narrow sea. I know how I know him now-"

"He helped to usurp your family" the redhead said quickly, cutting him off, "And he's conspiring against _me_ now, isn't he?"


End file.
